Plate for storage batteries and method of making same



R. N. CHAMBERLAIN. l PLATE FOR STORAGEl BATTERIES AND METHOD 0F MAKING SAME.

APPLICATION FILED Aue.11.1919.

Patented May 3, '19271.'

7N ii type and separators of wood or fibrous maedt-"W s l hier .i is. r

RUFUS l'. CHAMBERLAIBL 0F CHICAC, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOB TO GO'ULD STORAGE BATTERY COMPANY, OF DEPEW, NEVI" YORK, A CQREGRATION 0F NEW YRK.

PLATE TDR STORAGE BATTERES AND METHOD OF MAKING narcose.

Specication of Letters Patent.

Application filed .august 11, 1919. Serial No. 316,525.

\ Be it known that l, RUrUs N. CHAMBER- LA'IN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of illinois, have invented new and useful Improvements in Plates for Storage Batteries and Methods or' Making Same, of which the following is a specilication.

' This invention relates to a storage battery containing negative plates of the lant terial between the negative and positive plates. v

The object of this invention is to produo'ea substantially smooth surfaced Plante negative, in order to enable the lat side of a wood or ,fibrous separator te rest against the negative without being cut or torn by its uneven surface. A

ln the prior form oi }?lants negatives, made by one of the usual mechanical processes of producing a ribbed and grooved surface such as spinning, swaging, rolling or plowing the surface of a smooth blank of lead, the edges of the ribs so formed are oftenv sharp and uneven, thus tending to cut, crack or otherwise injure 'the flat surface ot a wood or fibrous separator, whenpressed against it by an adjacent positive plate.

Therefore, to avoid this mechanical breaking down of the wood or brous separatoigl have invented the method of placing hard, smooth surfaced blocks against the surface ofthe negative plates and by hydraulic lpressure, or other suitable means, substantially pressing down the high surfaces, or rough edged ribs, so as to secure a comparatively smooth surfaced negative. However, since the besttime to press the surface of the Plante negative is aiter formation, or when in a developed condition, there is great likelihood or" the spongy active material becoming so compressed as to loose much of its porosity and thus useful capacity. Therefore, to recovei` its necessary porosity, reverse the negative plate, after pressing its surface smooth enough for wood separators, to a positive condition. This reversing of the negative to a positive-condition restablishes the porous condition of the active material by oxidizing the compressed spongy lead to peroxid of lead. Then byl reversing the Plante back to its proper negative condition, l reestablish the necessary capacity and the negative plate, therefore'.I

then has not only the required smooth surface, but also the desired capacity.

In the accompanying drawings:

Figure 1 is .a vertical section-of a storage battery equipped with my improved form of negative plate. F ig. 2 is a horizontal section of the same taken on line 2 2, Fig. 1. F ig. 3 is a fragmentary end view, on au enlarged scale, showing the body ot the negative plate and the form of the ribs thereon preparatory to filling the spacps Abetween the ribs with active material and'pye'ssing'or upsetting the outer edges of the'ribs into even form. Fig. i is a similar view, showing the spaces between the ribs filled with `active material and the outer edges ofthe vribs pressed inwardly or upset so that they are even. i

Similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts throughout the several views. l

10 represents the jaw of the storage battery which may be of any suitable construction, 11, 12 the upright transverse positive and negative plates arranged alternately iu a longitudinal row with a charge of electrolyte contained within the jar, and 13 a plurality of separators of wood or kother fibrous material arranged between the opposing survfaces of adjacent positive and' negative p ates.

The vseparators in this instance are arranged in pairs the members of each pair being provided on their opposing'inner sides with ribs 14 which cooperating ribs hold the same inspaced relation while their outer sides 15 ar)i flat or even and/'engage with the, opposing .surfaces of the adjacent positive and negative plates. j

Each of the negative plates preferably comprises a body or sheet 16 of lead lupon opposite sides of which a plurality 'ofpar-v allel ribs 17 are formed by spinning, swaging, rolling or plowing the smooth surface of the body or sheet of lead. rlhe spaces between the several ribs oit' the negative plate are filled with active material A18 such as spongy lead or peroxid of lead.

When forming the ribs on the body of the negative the outer edges of the ribs are often sharp and irregularL in height and these out or tear the smooth surface of the wood` or fibrous eparators when assembled with the same in the jar, and thus necessi- 'states unduly frequent renewal of the senarators. To present the cutting effect of the negative plate, the outer edges of the same are pressed inwardly so that these several edges are all even and preferably flush with the surface of the active material between the same. During this inward pressure on the negative plate ribs the outer ends of the same are spread or upset .more or less, as shown at 19 in Fig. a, the upset portions of these ribs forming heads or anchors which assist in holding the active material securely in the yspaces between the negative plate ribs.

The procedure to attain the above results would be as follows The Plants negatives7 whether from the manufacturing process formation, or when removed from cells which have already b eenassembled for service, or in service, are placed between hard blocks of proper thickness and ofr any suitable material andl then pressed between such blocks by hand oi' machinery until the outer edges of the ribs are upsetl and form flat surfaces which are smooth enough to prevent the cutting of any flat wood or fibrous separators, which might be placed between the negative and adjacent positive plates. The negative platesy are then placed in suitable tanks when assembled in cells with -as it is not unduly below or above the usual strength used in the battery service for which the negatives areintended.

After the negatives have been reversed to a positive condition sufficiently to insure,

the necessary porosity, the current is re` direct versed until the negative plates are again vin the desired condition of porosity and capacity, They are then ready for assembly with their regular positives,'if they have not already been reversed from a temporary positive condition to a regular negative condition relative to the regular positives with which they are intended to operate in the service for which they are made.

I claim as my invention:

l. A storage battery plate comprising a body provided with a plurality of ribs the outer edges of which are pressed inwardly so that they are even.

2. A storagey battery plate comprising a body provided with a plurality of ribs the outer edges of which are upset so that they are flush and a filling of active material arranged between said ribs.

Theherein described process of mak ing storage battery plates which comprises forming ribs on a lead body, filling the spaces between said iibs with active material, and pressing the outer edges of said ribs inwardly so that they are even.

il. The herein described process of making storage battery plates which comprises forming ribs on a lead body, filling the spaces between said ribs with active material, pressing the outer edges of said ribs inwardly so that they are even, and then loosening the active material by subjecting the same to a reverse electric Current.

5. A storage battery comprising a plurality of .alternating negative and positive plates and fibrous separators arranged between the opposing surfaces of adjacent negative and positive plates, each of said negative plates having a ribbed surface which faces the adjacentlseparator and an active iillingf'between said ribs, and the outer edges of said ribs being pressed int wardly so that they are even.

RUFUS N. CHAMBERLAIN. 

